APS superintendent search discussed, acting superintendent sets goals

ALAMOGORDO - On Sept. 5, Adrianne Salas submitted her resignation as Alamogordo Schools Superintendent. Athletic Director Jarrett Perry was named acting superintendent that night and the search for an interim superintendent began.

But the search for an interim superintendent was not a fruitful one as none of the candidates fit the needs of the district.

"We've had conversations with a lot of retired superintendents in the state of New Mexico," APS School Board President David Weaver said. "Lots of failures out there. Lots of reasons why we have not gone in that direction. Some people carry a lot of baggage. We don't need baggage in our district right now, we need to move forward and those bags need to stay packed."

That's the reason the school board has not yet named an interim superintendent, Weaver said. 

"The board, we feel, has done it's due diligence in trying to find, ideally, a recently retired superintendent who was successful in their previous post who were available and amenable to an interim situation with us," APS Board Secretary Tim Wolfe said. "We, at this point, know the importance of establishing some stability and some definite direction."

Initially the board hoped to name an interim superintendent so Perry could go back to his role as athletic director.

“We are all neophytes in the process of a superintendent search and I ask for your prayers and your help because we need it,” APS School Board President David Weaver said.

More:Alamogordo grades discussed, MainGate calls for Salas resignation

Holloman Air Force Base liaison group MainGate United wants to assist APS in any way it can, a representative of that organization said.

“(MainGate United) is here to help” MainGate United Executive Board member Jim French said. “We sent you a list of people that we would hope that you would consider on your search committee. They bring a great deal of talent in hiring superstars.”

French suggested thinking outside the box with potential new superintendents.

“We need to hire a superstar and we cannot hire a recycled superintendent from another district. It is not going to work. I’m going to challenge you to challenge your staff to challenge everybody. Let’s think outside the box. It’s broken. We know it. We see it. We gotta fix it.”

Perry will stay on as acting superintendent until Dec. 1 and if no one else is chosen by then, he will be interim superintendent starting on Dec. 2.

“Right now, my goal is to support the board in searching for a permanent superintendent,” Perry said.

He told the board at Wednesday's meeting that the past two weeks have been the most intense of his 24 years in education. 

“I’m going into this position with my eyes wide open and I know exactly what I’m getting myself into and I just want everybody to know that I care about your kids," he said. "Kids are my priority. The school district is my priority. I will be a good steward of our money and the challenges that we may have, we will find solutions.”

Perry said that he plans on working with the school board and hopes that it will be a smooth transition to the new superintendent.

“This is more than just me and it’s more than everybody at this table: it’s everybody in this room and in the (Tularosa) basin,” Perry said. “It’s all of us and I really genuinely believe that we can do this together.”

Relationship-building is an important part of Perry’s plan. This includes keeping a positive relationship with the school board, faculty, staff and students.

“It is a 100 percent guarantee, under my command, that we will establish strong relationships with MainGate United, make no mistake about that; Holloman Air Force Base; the City of Alamogordo; NEA (the National Educators Association); leadership of neighboring school districts and the New Mexico Department of Public Education,” Perry said. “Out all of those factors together and we’re going to have something special and we’re going to do it together.

More:More than $34 million awarded for new Holloman Elementary School

“There will be change,” Perry said. “Expect that.”

Salas is on extended leave until Dec. 1, the day she can retire.

The decision to go on leave until her retirement date was agreed on by both the school board and Salas.

An interim athletic director will be named soon, Perry said.